A little tough love advice on prepping for your business portraits.

Your business portrait is coming up! I know you're excited, because you're shooting with me!

I've got a little advice for advance prepping for your portrait.  It might be a little tough to take, but I've got your best interests at heart, so take a listen.

My tough love advice:

Fix the hair coming out of the wrong places.  This one's a little touchy to talk about, do this at home--take a good look in the mirror.  Noses, ears, chins.  Trust me, it happens to the best of us and there's a simple fix for all of it.  Just snip and pluck.

Wrinkly clothing.  It's so great that you bought a new dress shirt for your shoot, but make sure to take it out of it's folded state and get it pressed.  You've got your favorite blouse, make sure that it's been cleaned and pressed before your shoot.   Wrinkles definitely counteract the look of "I'm good at what I do", unless of course, you're the creative type where wrinkles say, "I'm good at what I do".

Ties.  Men, pick a power tie.  Stay away from flesh colored ties.  Just trust me on this one.

Get your hair done in advance and have your hair styled the day of your portrait.  If you don't like your roots or grey showing, get your roots or grey done.  Go one better, invest in having your hair styled the day of your shoot.  Then make it worthwhile and plan to go out--to lunch, to dinner, with your partner, with your friends!

Invest in makeup.  I've shot business portraits with a makeup artist present and I've shot them without.  A makeup artist uses photo ready products to reduce shine and enhance your features. They can even contour your face, to make the most of your features.  They use the right products to enhance your look in front of the camera.  But perhaps more importantly, I've seen what a makeup artist can do for my subject's demeanor.  They feel powerful, more beautiful or handsome.  They walk into the shoot differently.  Colleagues oooh and ahhhhh over them.  At the very least, make an appointment in advance at your favorite makeup counter and learn how to apply products and the best makeup for your shoot.  You'll feel so much more confident walking into our shoot.

Have you got other questions about how you can get ready for your business portrait?  I've written this, this, this and this on getting ready.  Still have more questions?  Give me a shout!  I'm happy to help!

See you soon!

8 Tips for Choosing The Right Clothing for Your Corporate Portrait

Some days, it's hard enough to figure out what to wear to hit the grocery store, let alone work!  On the day of your corporate portrait?  Now what?! I've written other posts here  and here giving advice on getting ready for your portrait. We already know how important your headshot is--LinkedIn research shows that profiles with photos are reviewed 7x more than those without photos--so it goes without saying that choosing the right outfit can definitely make or break your image!

Here are my 8 favorite in-depth tips for clothing selections:

1. Funny enough, what you wear everyday to the office may not be the best clothing for your corporate portrait.  Consider how you'd like to be perceived--think about the job you have now and the job you'd like to have in the future.  Clothing can tell us a lot about a person--when you think of a doctor wearing a white coat, do you think it signifies a higher education and level of professionalism over the doctor in jeans?  Unfortunately, judging the book by the cover still exists. Start prepping ahead of time so that your outfit will be clean and pressed and ready on the day of your appointment.


2. It's best to choose modern, but not cutting edge fashion.  Cutting edge fashion becomes yesterday's outfit quickly and on the other hand, if your clothing is outdated, you could be perceived as being outdated in your thinking or abilities, probably not what you are looking for!

3. It's important to wear clothing that is correctly sized.  Clothing that is too large can give the appearance of being sloppy, while clothing that is too tight may give the appearance of being unkempt or conversely, too sexy.  For women, watch that your neckline isn't too revealing.

4. Make sure your clothing is pressed and clean and tailored for YOUR body.  Long sleeves of blouses, shirts and jackets should be at the appropriate length for your arms.  

5. This sounds a little goofy, but try to choose clothing that doesn't poof when you sit or move.

6.  Wear appropriate undergarments and make sure they aren't going to show.  I know you've probably heard this before, but the right undergarments can definitely make you appear taller and slimmer!  

7. A well fitting, fitted blazer can be like magic, hiding a tummy, creating a waist and slimming arms.

8.  Wear something (that's appropriate!) that you feel smokin' in!  Chances are you've gotten compliments while wearing it before and it stands to reason it fits well (just make sure it's clean and pressed!)  You'll feel like a million and we'll create an image that shows you to be confident, competent and approachable!

I can't wait to see you!

My 6 favorite tips for perfect makeup for your photo shoot

I KNOW you've been prepping ahead of time for your shoot and have followed my advice on advance preparation. You've gotten your hair cut, you've been drinking lots of water and getting enough sleep.  It's the day of your shoot and time to do your makeup.  Now what?  If you don't have a professional makeup artist at the ready, don't worry, I've got you covered!  Here are my 6 favorite tips for perfect makeup for your shoot.

Think these tips are just for women?  Guys, you'll benefit from (well, most) of these tips too!

1. Hydrate your skin:  (This works for both men and women!) Begin by hydrating your skin with a lightweight, non greasy moisturizer.  (preferably without SPF which sometimes has ingredients that can make your face look shinier) A good moisturizer will plump up your skin and it will look softer, firmer and smoother.  And hydrating with a good moisturizer will prevent makeup from looking too "cake-y".

2.  Think MATTE:  Use matte makeup so that your skin won't look greasy or shiny or reflect the light.  Matte makeup also covers inconsistency in skin textures (i.e. wrinkles!) making your skin look smoother.  It can cover any redness in the skin or blemishes.  It goes without saying that your foundation should match your skin tone exactly.

3.  Limit shimmery blushes or eyeshadows:  In camera, a shiny area is like a spotlight and will attract attention.  (However, a little shiny lipgloss is good because it can make your lips look more full!)

4.  Highlight and brighten the focal point of the portrait: your eyes:  Got dark circles?  Use a yellow based under eye concealer to hide them.  Use eyeliner to define the eye on your upper lid and use a shadow that will highlight your eye, blending it to the outer corners with a brush. For blue eyes, choose warm tones to balance them.  For brown eyes, most any color will work, but purple, bronze and navy work well.  For green eyes, reddish browns are good options.  And for hazel eyes cool tones work well.  Don't forget mascara and use an eyebrow pencil to fill in thin brows.

5.  Apply your makeup a little heavier than you think you'll need it:  Even if you are going for a more subtle look, the camera sees differently than our eye does. Makeup will look less dramatic than to our eye.  Be sure to bring your makeup with you in case you need to add a little more.

6. Apply your makeup in natural light if possible.  If it looks good there, it will most likely look good in any lighting condition.

Good makeup application only enhances my post production work and makes for an even more natural look so that you will look your best in your portrait!

I can't wait to see you!

Getting ready for your business portrait

You have an important meeting with a prospective client in a couple of weeks and you definitely want to win this client's business. What's your plan? Have you already started your preparations? Been doing your research?  Begun putting it all together? Of course you have!

Guess what? That client has already begun their research on YOU!  No doubt they've checked out your profiles and link backs to your company. And that headshot that's out there is the first thing they see. It's always on and out there.  You've spent a great deal of time branding your company.  Your headshot is a huge part of that brand as it sets the tone for who you are and what you are all about--the first impression.

From Entrepreneur.com:
"Simply put your brand is your promise to your customer.  It tells them what they can expect from your products and services, and it differentiates your offerings from your competitors'. Your brand is derived from who you are, who you want to be and who people perceive you to be."

From Forbes.com:
"Personal branding is no longer an option; it's a powerful leadership enabler."

Your corporate portrait/headshot deserves the same attention as that important client meeting. You begin winning business the moment the prospective client views your headshot.

Prepping for your portrait should begin a couple weeks ahead of time--give it the same importance that you would give to an important meeting.  Your portrait will represent you (and your company) for a bit--give it the attention it deserves.

Ahead of time:
Hair:  Do you need a haircut, your roots done, your eyebrows trimmed?  Do it a week ahead of time so your hair has time to relax into the cut.

Keep smoking and drinking to a minimum in the days before your session and begin drinking plenty of water to hydrate so your skin will look its best and lines and wrinkles will be minimized.  (Really, it works!)  Get adequate sleep, particularly the night before your session so you appear rested and relaxed.  Would you go out partying the night before a big client meeting?

There aren't definitive rules for what you should wear and how you should present yourself, your company culture and profession should be your guide.

Your business portrait should reflect a confident, relaxed and approachable you.  Schedule yourself accordingly so that your arrive relaxed and on time.  Now that you've done your prep work, you can relax, have fun and let me do my job!

I can't wait to see you!

My top ten tips for clothing selection, hair and makeup preparation:

1.  Prep your clothing beforehand--Clothing should fit well, be clean and pressed.  (Mind the gap in a blouse!)
2.  Solids look best--avoid bold or loud patterns (patterns or prints can sometimes create strange looking patterns on camera or distract from your face. Moire anyone?)
3.  Darker is slimming.  (Did you know black is my favorite color to wear?  And now you know why!)
3.  Watch that your neckline isn't too revealing and at the other end of the spectrum stay away from turtlenecks--they are difficult for even the longest of necks!
4.  Men--watch that a shiny or reflective tie doesn't compete with your face or that your undershirt is peeking out.
5.  Women--stay away from sleeveless blouses and jewelry that would distract from your face.  It goes without saying to wear well fitting undergarments.  (You--it's all about you!!!)
6.  Check your facial hair--eyebrows, nose hairs, beards and mustaches.  Trim neatly and check for strays.
7. Check your smile, brush and floss beforehand.  (It's great to have a little snack before we shoot so you aren't cranky with hunger, but make sure you check your smile!)
8.  Stick with matte foundations, powders and eyeshadows because shiny makeup reflects light and can be distracting in camera.
8.  Bring a bit a smoothing product for hair and light smooth down any frizzy stray hairs. 
9.  If in doubt, uses professional makeup artist or hair stylist.  (You'll look so good, you'll want to go out afterward!)
10.  If you wear glasses all the time--wear them.  You can consider having your optician pop the lenses out for the session.  And if you'd like we can shoot with and without them.

And finally, just between you and me--can we get up close and personal a minute?  Don't forget a few last minute checks: stray eyebrows, wayward nose hairs, inner eye gunk and dry lips! 

You've got a business portrait scheduled--now what??

With quite a few upcoming editorial business portraits coming up, I thought perhaps it's a good time to chat about how to prepare for having your business portrait taken.

Business portraits give a human face to the people behind a company.  And in these days of always connected, your image is always ON and OUT there--on LinkedIn, company websites, company directories, social networking sites--and you never know WHO (or even WHEN) is looking at your profile.  It makes sense to give your image--your brand--your company--the respect it deserves by preparing for your portrait in advance.

I suggest that preparation for your business portrait begin well ahead of time, giving it the same importance that you would give to an important meeting.  This is a portrait that will represent you (and your company) for a bit--give it the attendance it deserves.  Think about your hair needs--do you need a haircut, your roots done, your eyebrows trimmed?  Do it a week ahead so your hair has time to relax into the cut.  Keep smoking or alcohol to a minimum in the days before your session and begin drinking plenty of water to hydrate so your skin looks its best and lines and wrinkles will be minimized.  Get adequate sleep, particularly the night before your session so you appear rested and relaxed.

While there aren't definitive rules for what you should wear and how you should present yourself, your company culture or profession should be your primary consideration.  Obviously, a business portrait for a banker would be very different than one done for a creative.

My top ten tips for clothing selection, hair and makeup preparation:

1.  Prep your clothing beforehand--Clothing should fit well, be clean and pressed.  (Mind the gap in a blouse!)
2.  Solids look best--avoid bold or loud patterns (patterns or prints can sometimes create strange looking patterns on camera or distract from your face. Moire anyone?)
3.  Darker is slimming.  (Did you know black is my favorite color to wear?  And now you know why!)
3.  Watch that your neckline isn't too revealing and at the other end of the spectrum stay away from turtlenecks--they are difficult for even the longest of necks!
4.  Men--watch that a shiny or reflective tie doesn't compete with your face or that your undershirt is peeking out.
5.  Women--stay away from sleeveless blouses and jewelry that would distract from your face.  It goes without saying to wear well fitting undergarments.  (You--it's all about you!!!)
6.  Check your facial hair.  Trim neatly and check for strays.
7. Check your smile, brush and floss beforehand.  (It's great to have a little snack before we shoot so you aren't cranky with hunger, but make sure you check your smile!)
8.  Stick with matte foundations, powders and eyeshadows because shiny makeup reflects light and can be distracting in camera.
8.  Bring a bit a smoothing product for hair and light smooth down any frizzy stray hairs.
9.  If in doubt, uses professional makeup artist or hair stylist.  (You'll look so good, you'll want to go out afterward!)
10.  If you wear glasses all the time--wear them.  You can consider having your optician pop the lenses out for the session.  And if you'd like we can shoot with and without them.

And finally, just between you and me--can we get up close and personal a minute?  Don't forget a few last minute checks: stray eyebrows, wayward nose hairs, dry lips and inner eye gunk!

Yes, I'll admit to retouching.

And do I retouch your portraits?
Absolutely.  My goal is to capture the best you using posing and lighting so that you'll look your best straight out of the camera.  However, with all the talk about photoshop these days, here's my take:  In real life, when we are face to face with someone, we see the whole picture--not just a face, but a personality, mannerisms, voice and even smell--and our brain puts it all together to form our image of that person.  When we look at a two dimensional photograph of someone, we have only our visual sense to interpret it.  I believe in presenting the very best image of you, so yes, I'll admit to retouching--if you have special retouching concerns, please ask!

Your business portrait should reflect a confident, relaxed and approachable you.  Schedule yourself accordingly so that you arrive relaxed and on time.  Now that you've done your prep work, you can relax, have fun and let me do my job!

I can't wait to see you!

Featuring: Horn Company--Corporate Editorial Portraits on location

As much as I like photographing families, I LOVE shooting head shots and corporate editorial portraits.  I really enjoy being able to spend a little one on one with each individual and chat about the things they enjoy most.  AND I'd like to think it's my biggest and best chance for changing popular opinion on getting a portrait done.  It never fails that I get a lot of "I HATE getting my picture taken" comments before we start.  I suppose there are people that enjoy having their portrait taken--movie stars, rock stars, celebrities....you get the drift.  And then there's us regular people--that hate to get our portrait taken.   I include myself because I don't like having my portrait done either.  That's why I want to make it the easiest and most fun experience for my clients as possible.  And I want to create a portrait in the end that they hold up as the BEST portrait of themselves they've ever had--until the next time we shoot, of course!!

So last week, shooting on location at the Horn Company in La Mirada, I was getting LOTS of "I hate getting my picture taken" in the beginning, but by the time we finished, I was getting LOTS of smiles and hugs.

So cool to change someone's viewpoint.

Shooting in an industrial warehouse had it's advantages--like super graphic pallets.  But I really LOVE the shadow.

Painted drums full of flammable fluids.  I couldn't ask for better backdrops.

I am very fun--obviously.

This isn't Sean Penn; he said his name was Bradley Cooper.

At the end of the day and the end of our shoot, we were out of natural light and I got to play a little creating my own light.

Back in the big city.

A week ago found me traveling to New York City for one of my favorite corporate clients, Citizen Relations. I was so excited to be back shooting in my "Madison Avenue" studio again-with it's gorgeous light and fantastically New York background.  And now, as I write this, so excited that it wasn't THIS week, with a weather forecast of upcoming blizzard!

I woke in New York to a sunny--but brisk day--27 degrees for the high—and very happy that there wasn’t a need to contend with snow, ice or rain!  I thought about how amazing it was that Monday morning, I took my walk on the beach and watched two dolphins and a sea lion frolic in the surf (no, for real!!) and Tuesday morning, I was walking to work on the streets of New York.

I finished working Tuesday evening and felt like a real New Yorker as I walked back to the hotel to drop off most of my gear.  Shoot, (pun intended) I was in New York with a little time on my hands--I decided to head out and see what I could capture at night.

Off I went, bundled up, gloves on.  This isn’t so bad, I thought.  The last time I was here, in August, I’d wandered my way to Times Square and all the way to B and H (only to find them closed—probably good—who needs more gear anyway!).  So this time I wandered toward Rockefeller Center (with The American Girl Store as a pitstop along the way.)  I took a few shots--"This is refreshing" I thought to myself.  I took a selfie in front of NBC studios which required my gloves to come off and the 18 degree cold made my fingers scream at me to hurry up all ready and take the picture!

My legs also started feeling a little cold because my jacket is only 3/4 length.  The wind picked up and I could hear the flags frantically flapping in Rock Center. I headed toward 49th and buried my face in my scarf a little more.  The American Girl Store’s heat never felt so good.  As I came out and all 18 degrees hit me.  I decided it was time to head back to my hotel.  This might be why I’ve never yearned to be a landscape photographer!

Landscape photographers need to brave the elements for their shots.  They go out in the cold and look for their image.  They brave early morning darkness to wait for the sunrise shot over the city.  Nope, not me.  My warm cozy bed beckons.  That’s not to say I’ve not gotten or am going to get some great shots that don’t involve people, it’s just that they are going to be a little bit warmer terms!

I was heading back home to California Wednesday morning, but as I watched the news while packing in my hotel room, I decided I wanted to get out one more time and headed back out to NBC studios to see the TODAY show being taped.  I arrived just in time to catch the crew outside for the last outside segment of the morning and braved another half hour to see the interview with Sienna Miller.

Al Roker doing his thing.

See the numbers behind the camera man?  They say 23.  As in degrees.

As they began the segment, the camera panned the few standing outside the studio braving the 21 degree morning.  We waved.  Well, I took a photo--that's me, all the way to the right on the cameraman's screen--taking a picture.

When I got home, my husband had taped the segment and we ran it back to find my 5 seconds of fame.  Thankfully, I still have 14 minutes and 55 seconds left.  See, there I am waving.

Stay warm and safe my New York friends!

Is this you?

Quick: what's your headshot look like?

Is this your headshot?  

Or is it a selfie?  

Did you crop it out of a group photograph from a party?  

Is it more than 5 years old?  

If the answer to any of these questions is yes, perhaps you may want to consider updating your headshot!

These days, that image of yours is always ON and out there--on LinkedIn, company websites, company directories, social networking sites and it's often the first thing that a potential client or employer will see---their very first impression of you. You never know WHO is looking at your profile or even WHEN.  Don't YOU like to see what people look like and feel like you can connect to them?  And don't forget that your headshot not only represents you, but by association, the company that you work for as well.  So, whether you are a business professional, a creative or someone looking for a job: is your headshot the best representation of you?

When you have an important meeting, you take care to present yourself well, right?  That picture of yours is always out there, representing.

If you're like me and don't like having your portrait taken, don't use that as an excuse!  A good photographer should talk you right through the session.  You shouldn't feel rushed and your photographer should have the skills to bring out the best in you.  Your portrait should reflect you, your business, be friendly and feel approachable.  You know, approachable is the new cool.

So if this sounds like you, give me a call or drop me a line--we'll get your image representing YOU!

Featuring: Amy Martinez of Roots Fitness

I've been photographing Amy Martinez of Roots Fitness for quite some time--we've worked on quite a few  really awesome projects together.  It's been a couple of years since Amy's had a new headshot and since she's got a new sassy hairdo; it was time for an updated headshot!  We headed to Old Towne Orange to find a couple of cool spots to provide the background.

Even if we've worked together many times before as Amy and I have, sometimes there's still a little bit of getting used to being in front of the camera.  Unless, of course, you're a professional model ;-)  So, I like to take a little time to chat before I even raise the camera to my eye so that you feel like we're just old friends getting together.  In between the silly things we talk about or do, I'll find the real you--the real, relaxed and approachable you.  And in between, you'll forget all about the camera.

Have you a sassy new hairdo?  Been a few years since your last headshot?  Let's update it!

I can't wait to see you!